Monday, November 18, 2013

Former hopeless romantic, Mia Trent, is crushed when the love of her life, Nate McArthur, reveals that he doesn’t want to get married—or have children. But it’s too late. Mia is already pregnant and her dream of “happily ever after” is sharply put to an end when she decides to keep her pregnancy a secret, refusing to force him into a life he doesn’t want.

The compromise that made them a family...

Five years later, Mia must reach out to Nate for help or risk losing her home and shelter for their son. Stunned and outraged by the sudden news of his child, Nate proposes a compromise: give him the summer to get to know his son and he’ll save her home. Yet with Mia back in his life, Nate isn't willing to lose her—or their son—again. What starts off as a temporary arrangement soon becomes a chance at rediscovery and becoming a family. Only Nate must convince his jaded dreamer that his love for her is true…and will last now and forever.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming a member of SORMAG's community - Join Today

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

She wanted a peaceful escape to the Bahamas. What she got was love and danger at every turn.

Renee Thomas can’t trust herself to pick a good man. Putting her life back together after being in an abusive relationship, she finds a job. Her new job isn’t exciting, but it nets one major positive: she reconnects with an old flame, but like a moth to a flame, her abuser also tries to reconnect with disastrous results, not only for her, but everyone she loves.

Jay Morris can't afford any distractions. He's staking his entire career on an IPO that must go off without any glitches...but he can't stop thinking about Renee and the fear he saw in her eyes. He’d give up everything in order to protect her... he’d walk through fire for the chance to love her.

About The Author

Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in the Rain Series into stage productions.

Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels, reading great books consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorify God.

To date, Vanessa has completed the Rain and Storm Series. She is currently working on the Forsaken series, Second Chance at Love series and a single title, Long Time Coming. Vanessa believes that each book will touch readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all, her God-given destiny to write and produce plays and novels that bring deliverance to God’s people. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.

• Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award 2003

• Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction 2004

• Nominated for the NAACP Image Award (Christian Fiction) 2004

• Essence Bestseller’s List March 2008; May 2008 (Former Rain)

• Essence Bestseller’s List September 2008 (Rain Storm)

• Black Expressions Book Club Alternate Selection 2007, 2008 & 2009.

Vanessa originally self-published, then in 2006 she signed a five-book deal with Urban Christian/Kensington. Her books can now be found in Wal-Mart, and almost all major bookstores, including African American bookstores and online bookstores such as Amazon.com.

Vanessa is a dedicated Christian and devoted mother. She graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. In 2007, Vanessa was ordained by her church as an exhorter. Vanessa believes this was the right position for her because God has called her to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.

Most of Vanessa’s published novels depict characters that are lost and in need of redemption. The books have received countless favorable reviews.

What they are saying…. “Readers will be emotionally invested in the characters from the start. The character’s pain and inner struggles lead to heart-wrenching scenes. Themes of faith, forgiveness and reconciliation make this a powerful testament to God’s faithfulness that will remain with the reader long after the final page.” -- RT Reviewer

Vanessa is giving away 5-ebook copies of Escape To Love during the tour

It seems only another writer will understand the plight of an author when they are trying to juggle their everyday life with a writing career. If you decide to write when you have time, you will never write because there will always be something that will interfere with your writing.

Below are a few tips to better manage your time in order to complete your writing projects:

1. Make an appointment with yourself. We schedule doctor’s appointments, hair appointments, school events, etc, so why not add “writing” to your schedule. Not only schedule it, but keep to the appointment.

2. Set boundaries. Inform those in your inner circle (family and friends) that you need X amount of solitude time to write. A story doesn’t write itself and in order for the story to be written, you, the writer need the solitude time to write the story.

3. Limit your social networking time. This is a catch-22 because if you’re marketing, social networking is a must. In order to write however, logging off Facebook, Twitter, etc era is a must. Social networking is a time zapper and if you don’t be careful, you’ll spend hours and hours without writing one sentence on your writing project.

4. Set word count/page writing goals. It helps to set goals on how many pages or words you want to write. Most importantly, when you set these goals, stick to them. Write them by any means necessary. If it means less time watching TV, being on social networks, getting up earlier or going to bed later, do so.

5. Set mini-goals. A lot of times we get frustrated because we don’t see an end to what we want to accomplish. One way to avoid this is to set mini-goals.

Once you reach the mini-goal, then go on to the next goal.

What are some other tips that you use to help manage your time?

Shelia M. Goss is the author of The Joneses, Delilah, My Invisible Husband,etc. She's also a 2012 Emma Award Finalist. She has over sixteen books in print and numerous of ebooks available. She writes in multiple genres. With unique storylines, her goal is to create “stories with a twist.” For more information, visit her website at http://www.sheliagoss.com/
If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming a member of SORMAG's community - Join Today

AlTonya Washington has been a published romance novelist for 10 years. In 2013, her Harlequin Kimani novel His Texas Touch won the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Series Romance of 2012. In addition to being an author, AlTonya also works as a college Reference Librarian. Writing as T. Onyx, AlTonya released her latest erotica Ravenous: Ruler of Perfection II in 2013. Her newest title with Harlequin Kimani is Provocative Passion nominated for an AMB Ovation Award for Outstanding Interracial Romance and the sequel to the January 2013 release Provocative Territory. Her upcoming novel, A Lover’s Debt is the 17th title in the Ramsey Tesano saga.

Website:
http://www.lovealtonya.com

Angel de`Amor is a Chicago native. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. As a Senior Accountant for real-estate companies for the past eleven years, in her day job she focuses on budgets, reports, and financial statements, and in her free time she continued to be an avid reader.

Angel’s love of reading began in her early teens, she started with magazines and short stories, and soon moved into romance novels. A hopeless romantic, Angel reads at least thirty books a year and when she finally started to write her own stories, Angel stayed true to her passion.

Filled with temptation and forbidden love affairs, His Betrayal Her Lies chronicles the journey of a young woman trying to live up to everyone’s expectations--her family, friends and companion—but neglecting to follow her own heart.

Angel prides herself on writing about everyday issues that face real people. She is currently hard at work on Kept Secrets, the sequel to His Betrayal Her Lies.

Barbara Joe Williams is currently a freelance writer, independent publisher, and motivational speaker living in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a Navy veteran, a graduate of Tallahassee Community College, and Florida A & M University. Barbara is also the founder of Amani Publishing, LLC (2004), and the co-founder of the Tallahassee Authors Network since September 2008.

She has published books for over twenty authors and nine for herself including: The 21 Lives of Lisette Donavan (Anthology, 2012), A Man of My Own (2012), A Writer’s Guide to Publishing & Marketing (2010), Moving the Furniture: 52 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Fresh (2009), Courtney’s Collage (with Sherille Fisher, 2007), How I Met My Sweetheart (Anthology, 2007), Falling for Lies (2006), Dancing with Temptation (2005) and Forgive Us This Day (2004).

All her books are available now at Amazon.com, Amen-Ra’s Bookshop, BN.com, Booksamillion.com, FAMU bookstore, and all other retail bookstores upon request.

Cheryl Lacey Donovan draws on her experience and passion as an educator to motivate and encourage others to live their lives on purpose. She is particularly passionate about helping others create the lives they deserve and desire. Articulate and compassionate, Cheryl is a speaker with a gift for teaching. She says, "My desire is to help people see the world from God's perspective, and to move them to do something about what they see."
Cheryl has spent a lifetime acquiring experience around educating and advising others on living a more meaningful life. After more than 20 years of educating and advising allied health care professionals Cheryl followed her passion for bringing out the best in other people by choosing to be more involved in the vision and direction their lives were taking. This culminated in the launch of Worth More than Rubies. Since then Cheryl has spoken to hundreds of groups across the country and written articles as well as Bible study curricula.
Cheryl is uniquely positioned to impact the lives of individuals she comes in contact with for long term success with her powerful vision of bringing purpose into the people equation to promote happier, healthier more meaningful life experiences.
Cheryl presents a powerful message with a conversational style that's just like sitting around chatting with one of your sisters - one who is filled with pearls of wisdom and whose heart is filled with giving. Some of us long for that kind of sister or friend who will just sit you down, tell you the truth about life, share her experiences, and then give you access to a greater more meaningful purpose in life. You will want to sip a warm cup of your favorite drink, bring a note pad and enjoy a candid and educational presentation with Cheryl Lacey Donovan.

Ella D. Curry is the president and CEO of EDC Creations Media Group. She brings more than 20 years of PR and marketing experience to clients in film, music, publishing and corporate event planning. Her expertise as well as her love for all things literary, and collaborative approach with clients have earned her a reputation as a respected leader in the publishing industry. Ella has enjoyed an extensive tenure in media promotions and book publicity. She started out as a corporate event planner and website developer; later becoming a buyer for the legendary Karibu Book Store chain. Her career now includes services such as blog tour coordinator, book coach, video journalist and literary publicist.

Ms. Curry lives in Maryland with daughter and partner. When she's not working, she loves to travel, write short stories, and chatting in Internet groups with her international group of friends. As her entrepreneurial spirit guides the way upward, she continues to involve herself in challenging, life enhancing projects. If you would like more information, you may reach her via email at: elladcurry@edc-creations.com or visit the parent website at: www.edc-creations.comFrances Frost has been making up her own stories ever since convincing her younger brother that she could make butter from those little teeny cups of coffee creamer. She chronicles her thoughts on motherhood, books, and crafts on her blog, Just Piddlin’ (www.slackermomof4.blogspot.com), a Circle of Moms “Top 25 Family Blog by Moms”, and is a contributing blogger on Skirt.com and CircleofMoms.com. She lives just outside of Washington, DC in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, four children, and rescued pup. Life in Spades is her first novel.

Jacqueline J. Holness is a seasoned journalist with 15 years of professional experience writing and working for an assortment of newspapers, magazines, websites and other publications. Currently, she is a correspondent for Courthouse News Service, an online, national news service for attorneys. She is responsible for writing about new litigation filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia as well as four metro Atlanta court systems. Prior to working for Courthouse News Service, Jacqueline worked primarily as an education reporter for the News Daily newspaper covering the Clayton County Public School System, the fifth largest school system in Georgia. Aside from covering the education beat, she frequently wrote in-depth feature pieces and columns in which she explored her faith and other issues. She also worked as a reporter for the Clayton Neighbor newspaper where she covered several beats including education and county and city governments.

Through her business, Selah Communications, Jacqueline has also written for several publications, websites and organizations. Her articles have appeared in UPSCALE magazine, the Atlanta Business Chronicle newspaper, Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine and Atlanta Home Improvement magazine. Her work has also appeared on Citysearch.comand the New Georgia Encyclopedia website. In addition, she has written for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. After the Altar Call: The Sisters' Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God, published by Nevaeh Publishing, is her first book.

Dr. Linda F. Beed's works are those that seek to inform and remind the reader that their past does not change the plans that God has for their lives.

A life-long reader and storyteller, Dr. Linda took a step of faith and entered a short story contest. Encouraged by family to continue, she extended the story into a full novel—Business Unusual. That book was released by her publishing company, On Assignment Publications. The sequel Through The Fire will release in 2014. She is a contributor to Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships. That work was nominated in the best anthology of the year category at the African American Literary Awards show.

As a conference coordinator and facilitator, Dr. Linda has shared in the success of local and national literary events. She currently serves on the faculty of the Black Writers and Reunion Conference. Her column on literary tips and the business side of writing can be found in the bi-monthly issues of SORMAG DIGITAL MAGAZINE.

A children’s minister with thirty plus years of experience Dr. Linda is a living example of using words to bear good fruit.

In her quest to continue telling the stories of African Americans she has developed the 'Life Enrichment' series. These spoken word performances showcase known and little known persons and events of the African American people. Tell Them, that depicts the last day of Denise McNair and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing is the first in this ongoing production.

Dr. Linda is a member of the Seattle Chapter of Professional Women of Color and the National Council of Negro Women. She is also a Board member for the T&T Foundation.

I am Lyn Cote. My first book came out in 1998, Never Alone, #36 in the first year of the Love Inspired line of romances. I always wanted to be a writer and a teacher--and guess what I was a teacher and then a writer and a mom of a son and daughter.

I am a happy person. I am grateful to God for all his blessings. And I try to share my joy with others.

I write both contemporary and historical romance, some with a bit of suspense. And I host a blog, titled: “Strong Women, Brave Stories.” I invite authors and readers to submit stories about women they have known and admired. If you’d like to drop by and join in, its on my homepage http://www.BooksbyLynCote.com And that’s Lyn Cote!

Makenzi is a fiction author with several books under her name since 2006 including, "Unexpected Truth", "Dangerously", "That's How I Like It!" a short story "Blood Brothers" and October 2013 she released her newest novel "Wicked Attraction." Before becoming a self published author in 2013, from 2008-09, Makenzi not only was an author on the roster but she also served as the in-house event planner for the publishing company she was previously signed with. Her duties included scheduling all the book signings, speaking events, interviews and book club events. Makenzi is originally from Cleveland, Ohio but currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

M.J. Kane stumbled into writing. An avid reader, this stay at home mom never lost the overactive imagination of an only child. As an adult she made up stories, though never shared them, to keep herself entertained. It wasn’t until surviving a traumatic medical incident in 2006 that she found a reason to let the characters inhabiting her imagination free. Upon the suggestion of her husband, she commandeered his laptop and allowed the characters to take life. It was that, or look over her shoulder for men caring a purple strait jacket.
No longer a television addict, if M.J. isn’t reading a book by one of her favorite authors, she’s battling with her creative muse to balance writing and being a wife and mother. She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia with her high school sweetheart, four wonderful children, and two pit bulls. MJ can often be found hanging out at the local library where she is director of a local writer’s group, or online connecting with readers and other authors. Other activities she enjoys include: creating custom floral arrangements, assisting her children in their creative pursuits of music and art, and supporting her husband’s music production business, 3D Sounds.

Having just finished her fifteenth book, Rita Karnopp isn’t a stranger to bringing stories alive between the pages of her books.

This multi-published author has just begun. Whether a 1800s Montana story or nail biting suspense, Rita draws on her love for the rich history of the Native American.

Her thrillers have delighted the edgy reader and her recent Holocaust Tango of Death series is hitting the market by storm. It’s gutsy, real, and turning heads.

Rita currently resides in Montana with her husband and their loveable Cockapoo, Gema.

Reading, research, writing, and making dream catchers, consume most of Rita’s spare time during the long Montana winters. When summer arrives she enjoys gold panning, crystal or sapphire digging, rafting, fishing, canoeing, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Rose Jackson-Beavers, Chief Executive Officer of Prioritybooks Publications grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois and received her Bachelor and Master degrees from Illinois State and Southern Illinois Universities. Rose is a motivational speaker who is frequently asked to talk to youths and young adults about life issues. She has worked with many youths throughout her community and has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in youth empowerment and publishing. She has worked as a freelance writer for A-Magazine, a St. Louis Publication, The Spanish Lake Word Newspaper and as an Opinion Shaper for the North County Journal Newspaper. Married for twenty-nine years to Cedric, they have one daughter, Adeesha. Rose is the author of seven books. Her 2012 book, A Sinner's Cry was a finalist in the Religious Fiction category in, The Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2012. Her newest release through Urban Books is Full Figured 5 with Brenda Hampton. In 2013, she released Inhibitions; an anthology which included her story, Can’t Get Enough of Your Love. Rose’s books can be purchased directly from her website at http://www.prioritybooks.com/ or from http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. She can be reached at rosbeav03@yahoo.com, or at 314-306-2972.

Savannah Jackson or Savannah J as she is affectionately called has been surrounded by diverse culture and the Arts her entire life. She was born into a family of artists and raised in Wilmington, Delaware in an Italian neighborhood affectionately referred to as "Little Italy". The unconditional love and support of her family and influence of her environment fostered her love and talents in the Arts.

Savannah began singing at the age of three, subsequently, during her college years, she studied music and literature, which fed her passion for writing. Her first novels revealed her romantic side until at the urging of two friends, she decided to stretch herself and penned her first suspense.

She is the author of “Toward the Light” and the sequel “The Prodigal Son,” “Behind Closed Doors,” “Raising Tristan,” and the suspense thriller, “The Prey,” She is also the founder and organizer and host of The Biennial Authors Literary Festival, which is held every other year in the Richmond Virginia Metro Area.
Savannah J. at present resides in Virginia with her son and family. For more information see her website at www.thesavannahjpublications.com or email her at savnhj@aol.com . For more information on The Biennial Authors Literary Festival visit the website at www.theannualauthlitfestival.com. “Toward the Light” is available at www.authorhouse.com. “The Prey,” and “Raising Tristan” are available on Amazon and through Savannah’s website. “Raising Tristan” is now available in eBook on Kindle. “The Prodigal Son,” and “Behind Closed Doors” are being re-edited and unavailable. Savannah is currently hard at work on the second book in “The Prey” series titled “The Prey: Twins, and then there were two”.

Shelly Ellis
As long as she could remember, Shelly Ellis (who also writes under the name, L.S. Childers) has wanted to be a writer. In college, she studied journalism and started out as a crime reporter for a small local newspaper. Now she is an editor at a trade journal in Virginia.

Her fiction writing career began when she became one of four finalists in the BET Books First-Time Writers Contest when she was 19 years old. The prize was having her first short-story romance published in the book, All That and Then Some! She has since been chosen as a finalist for 2012 African American Literary Award in the romance category and one of her books earned a coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly. Shelly started her new women’s fiction series with Kensington Publishing, the Gibbons Gold Digger Series in 2013, starring the gold-digging Gibbons sisters. She also does podcasts and is a blog contributor for Black Girl Nerds.

She is married and lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland with her husband, their daughter, and their tabbie cat, Barty. She loves to paint, read, and watch movies.

Website address:www.shellyellisbooks.com

STEPHANIE CASHER is a freelance editor and author of multicultural women’s fiction. Her debut novel, When Love Isn’t Enough, has received 4- and 5- star reviews on amazon.com, and was a finalist in the 2011 Global eBook Awards for Multicultural Fiction. The sequel, The Space Between, will be released in 2014.

Stephanie is also co-owner of The Pantheon Collective (TPC), LLC, an independent publishing company that has published four award-winning novels (Sellout by James W. Lewis; A Hard Man is Good to Find by James W. Lewis; One Blood by Qwantu Amaru; and When Love Isn’t Enough).

Currently living in Santa Cruz, California with her partner and two cats, Stephanie tries to spend as much time as possible in nature. To placate her inner gypsy, she travels extensively in search of inspiration.

TaNisha Webb is a well known book club consultant and author of the highly anticipated book club guideThe Ultimate Book Club Experience: How to Create & Maintain a Successful Book Club. She is the Publisher and Editor in Chief for Book Club 101 Magazine and the founder of Book Club 101 University, The Black Book Club Experience, and The Ultimate Book Club Experience. TaNisha is also a literary event planner and consultant. She is the founder and coordinator of Fall Into Books Literary Conference and Book Club University Online Conference. She is the owner of Literary-ly Speaking Events & Services and Bookmark It! Handcrafted Bookmarks.

TaNisha Webb is the president of the award-winning KC Girlfriends Book Club and moderator for the “Maximizing Your Book Club Experience” panel discussion for the National Book Club Conference in Atlanta, GA. In 2002, TaNisha earned an Associates of Health Science in Respiratory Care at Newman University in Wichita, KS. TaNisha lives in Kansas City, MO and works as an Environmental Health Coordinator for a children’s hospital. Please visit TaNisha Webb online at: www.tanishawebbonline.com, www.bookclub101mag.com or www.bookclubuniversity101.net
--

TaNisha Webb - Founder
Literary-ly Speaking Events & Services

Terri J. Haynes holds a certificate in Creative Writing, an Associate's Degree in Religious Studies and a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Theology. She is a columnist for UrbanFaith.com and has been published in Cup of Comfort for Military Families and Crosswalk.com. She is a ACFW 2010 Genesis Finalist and a 2012 Genesis Semi-Finalist. Terri's novel, Love Simplified, was a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Terri is a graphic designer and avid knitter. She lives in Maryland with her husband (Army RET) and her three children.

TL James graduated with an MBA from LeTourneau University. At LETU, she cultivated an interest in biblical studies, which became the integral thread in her writing style. Given birth her first speculative fictional trilogy. As she developed the family drama storyline, her newly born son was constantly tucked around her waist. After eight months of sleepless nights, The MPire trilogy was completed.

During her publishing experience, James discovered a numbers of gaps in the system. The primary gap was there were many publishing houses and promotions companies but not one company that provided both services and was affordable. Furthermore, the author often times was shutout of the important decisions because both companies possessed different agendas.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming a member of SORMAG's community - Join Today

Dr. A'ndrea J. Wilson is the author of over a dozen fiction and nonfiction titles, including the bestselling Wife 101 Series. A lover of education and learning, A'ndrea has earned a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from the State University of New York, College at Brockport, a Master's of Science in Counseling Psychology; Marriage and Family Counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and a Ph.D. in Global Leadership; Educational Leadership from Lynn University. She currently divides her time between writing, conducting relationship and professional development workshops, and teaching college courses. In addition, A'ndrea is the President of Divine Garden Press, an independent publishing company which promotes books addressing marriage and family issues. A native of Rochester, New York, Dr. Wilson resides in Georgia. For more information please visit her websites: www.andreawilsononline.com or www.wife101.com

Angel de`Amor is a Chicago native. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. As a Senior Accountant for real-estate companies for the past eleven years, in her day job she focuses on budgets, reports, and financial statements, and in her free time she continued to be an avid reader.

Angel’s love of reading began in her early teens, she started with magazines and short stories, and soon moved into romance novels. A hopeless romantic, Angel reads at least thirty books a year and when she finally started to write her own stories, Angel stayed true to her passion.

Filled with temptation and forbidden love affairs, His Betrayal Her Lies chronicles the journey of a young woman trying to live up to everyone’s expectations--her family, friends and companion—but neglecting to follow her own heart.

Angel prides herself on writing about everyday issues that face real people. She is currently hard at work on Kept Secrets, the sequel to His Betrayal Her Lies.

Barbara Joe Williams is currently a freelance writer, independent publisher, and motivational speaker living in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a Navy veteran, a graduate of Tallahassee Community College, and Florida A & M University. Barbara is also the founder of Amani Publishing, LLC (2004), and the co-founder of the Tallahassee Authors Network since September 2008.

She has published books for over twenty authors and nine for herself including: The 21 Lives of Lisette Donavan (Anthology, 2012), A Man of My Own (2012), A Writer’s Guide to Publishing & Marketing (2010), Moving the Furniture: 52 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Fresh (2009), Courtney’s Collage (with Sherille Fisher, 2007), How I Met My Sweetheart (Anthology, 2007), Falling for Lies (2006), Dancing with Temptation (2005) and Forgive Us This Day (2004).

All her books are available now at Amazon.com, Amen-Ra’s Bookshop, BN.com, Booksamillion.com, FAMU bookstore, and all other retail bookstores upon request.

Cheryl Lacey Donovan
draws on her experience and passion as an educator to motivate and encourage others to live their lives on purpose. She is particularly passionate about helping others create the lives they deserve and desire. Articulate and compassionate, Cheryl is a speaker with a gift for teaching. She says, "My desire is to help people see the world from God's perspective, and to move them to do something about what they see."
Cheryl has spent a lifetime acquiring experience around educating and advising others on living a more meaningful life. After more than 20 years of educating and advising allied health care professionals Cheryl followed her passion for bringing out the best in other people by choosing to be more involved in the vision and direction their lives were taking. This culminated in the launch of Worth More than Rubies. Since then Cheryl has spoken to hundreds of groups across the country and written articles as well as Bible study curricula.
Cheryl is uniquely positioned to impact the lives of individuals she comes in contact with for long term success with her powerful vision of bringing purpose into the people equation to promote happier, healthier more meaningful life experiences.
Cheryl presents a powerful message with a conversational style that's just like sitting around chatting with one of your sisters - one who is filled with pearls of wisdom and whose heart is filled with giving. Some of us long for that kind of sister or friend who will just sit you down, tell you the truth about life, share her experiences, and then give you access to a greater more meaningful purpose in life. You will want to sip a warm cup of your favorite drink, bring a note pad and enjoy a candid and educational presentation with Cheryl Lacey Donovan.

Pastor Danyelle Scroggins is the author of Not Until You're Ready, His Mistress or God's Daughter?, and The Power of Pain & Evonta’s Revenge Part One & Two (eBooks).

Behind this great woman, is a life story of pain and promise which led her to the reality of who she is in Christ. It is this reality that has caused Danyelle to write books that are designed to usher change in the lives of God's children; especially His daughters.

Danyelle studied Theology at Louisiana Baptist University, and has a Psychology Degree from the University of Phoenix. She is presently attending Liberty University where she is working on a Master’s Degree in Psychology and a minor in Biblical Studies. She is currently working to build Danyelle Scroggins Ministries, a ministry in which she founded and is the platform by which she mixes real life truths, pure realities, and much compassion to deliver a message saturated in the perfected love of God, and showered in the glorious awareness of God's grace. She is the Co-Pastor of New Vessels Ministries, where she works beside her husband Pastor Reynard Scroggins and the mother of three wonderful young adults Raiyawna, Dobrielle, & Dwight Gatlin Jr. and two awesome step-sons Reynard & Gabriel Scroggins. She and her family currently reside in Louisiana.

Ella D. Curry is the president and CEO of EDC Creations Media Group. She brings more than 20 years of PR and marketing experience to clients in film, music, publishing and corporate event planning. Her expertise as well as her love for all things literary, and collaborative approach with clients have earned her a reputation as a respected leader in the publishing industry. Ella has enjoyed an extensive tenure in media promotions and book publicity. She started out as a corporate event planner and website developer; later becoming a buyer for the legendary Karibu Book Store chain. Her career now includes services such as blog tour coordinator, book coach, video journalist and literary publicist.

Ms. Curry lives in Maryland with daughter and partner. When she's not working, she loves to travel, write short stories, and chatting in Internet groups with her international group of friends. As her entrepreneurial spirit guides the way upward, she continues to involve herself in challenging, life enhancing projects. If you would like more information, you may reach her via email at: elladcurry@edc-creations.com or visit the parent website at: www.edc-creations.com

Frances Frost has been making up her own stories ever since convincing her younger brother that she could make butter from those little teeny cups of coffee creamer. She chronicles her thoughts on motherhood, books, and crafts on her blog, Just Piddlin’ (www.slackermomof4.blogspot.com), a Circle of Moms “Top 25 Family Blog by Moms”, and is a contributing blogger on Skirt.com and CircleofMoms.com. She lives just outside of Washington, DC in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, four children, and rescued pup. Life in Spades is her first novel.
Website: www.francesfrost.com

G.P.A. Bio: G.P.A. hails from Chicago Il and is the author of four books of Poetry(The Confessional Heart of a Man, The Book of 24 Orgasms, The Mind of a Poetic Unsub, and Revenge of the Orgasm). He is the winner of the Urban Image Magazine Talent Search,Moth Storytelling Slam, Poetry Pentathlon, and was a Semi Finalist in the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards. Currently, G.P.A. has crossed over into the world of acting in oth movies(Persian Version,Animals) and tv shows(Chicago Fire,Chicago PD,Mind Games, and Betrayal).

As you are driving, your body involuntarily jumps. Sweat begins on your forehead and appears on your body, even though it is the middle of Winter. Inside of your left thigh, there is a tapping that is not harmful but noticeable. And you begin to wonder if sanity has departed or control of your motor skills is no longer your own. Then, the epiphany becomes clear. This is Revenge of the Orgasm.

Jacqueline J. Holness is a seasoned journalist with 15 years of professional experience writing and working for an assortment of newspapers, magazines, websites and other publications. Currently, she is a correspondent for Courthouse News Service, an online, national news service for attorneys. She is responsible for writing about new litigation filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia as well as four metro Atlanta court systems. Prior to working for Courthouse News Service, Jacqueline worked primarily as an education reporter for the News Daily newspaper covering the Clayton County Public School System, the fifth largest school system in Georgia. Aside from covering the education beat, she frequently wrote in-depth feature pieces and columns in which she explored her faith and other issues. She also worked as a reporter for the Clayton Neighbor newspaper where she covered several beats including education and county and city governments.

Through her business, Selah Communications, Jacqueline has also written for several publications, websites and organizations. Her articles have appeared in UPSCALE magazine, the Atlanta Business Chronicle newspaper, Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine and Atlanta Home Improvement magazine. Her work has also appeared on Citysearch.comand the New Georgia Encyclopedia website. In addition, she has written for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. After the Altar Call: The Sisters' Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God, published by Nevaeh Publishing, is her first book.

Janice R. Love, is the biological mother of two children and has been the stepmother of six children for over ten years. Janice earned a Master’s in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma and has been trained and certified as a Stepfamily Certified Coach by the Stepfamily Foundation Incorporated in New York City. Mrs. Love and her husband Rev. Dr. Bobby L. Love, are the founders of Step With Love, a ministry that offers Blended Family Counseling, Coaching and seminars for couples, stepmoms and churches respectively. They live in Olathe, Kansas, along with three of his children. For more information about this book, visit www.janicelovebooks.com, or about their stepfamily ministry, visit www.stepwithlove.com.

LaTara V. Bussey is a Lifestyle Success Coach. As CEO and Lead Coach at Integrated Concepts for Living, she assists women put faith into action, release fears, and launch dreams using Biblical success concepts and wellness techniques.

Leslie J. Sherrod, the recipient of the SORMAG Readers Choice Award for Christian Author of the Year (2012), has a Masters in Social Work and has worked as a therapist, just like her current protagonist, Sienna St. James. Her novels, including Without Faith, Losing Hope, Secret Place, and Like Sheep Gone Astray have been featured in Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library Writer’s LIVE! Series, as well as local CBS and NBC affiliates, and on AOL’s Black Voices. She has received a starred review from Booklist and is a contributor to the bestselling A Cup of Comfort devotional series. Her fifth novel, Sacrifices of Joy: Book 3 of the Sienna St. James Series, will be released Spring 2014. Leslie lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband and three children.

Dr. Linda F. Beed's works are those that seek to inform and remind the reader that their past does not change the plans that God has for their lives.

A life-long reader and storyteller, Dr. Linda took a step of faith and entered a short story contest. Encouraged by family to continue, she extended the story into a full novel—Business Unusual. That book was released by her publishing company, On Assignment Publications. The sequel Through The Fire will release in 2014. She is a contributor to Home Again: Stories of Restored Relationships. That work was nominated in the best anthology of the year category at the African American Literary Awards show.

As a conference coordinator and facilitator, Dr. Linda has shared in the success of local and national literary events. She currently serves on the faculty of the Black Writers and Reunion Conference. Her column on literary tips and the business side of writing can be found in the bi-monthly issues of SORMAG DIGITAL MAGAZINE.

A children’s minister with thirty plus years of experience Dr. Linda is a living example of using words to bear good fruit.

In her quest to continue telling the stories of African Americans she has developed the 'Life Enrichment' series. These spoken word performances showcase known and little known persons and events of the African American people. Tell Them, that depicts the last day of Denise McNair and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing is the first in this ongoing production.

Dr. Linda is a member of the Seattle Chapter of Professional Women of Color and the National Council of Negro Women. She is also a Board member for the T&T Foundation.

I am Lyn Cote. My first book came out in 1998, Never Alone, #36 in the first year of the Love Inspired line of romances. I always wanted to be a writer and a teacher--and guess what I was a teacher and then a writer and a mom of a son and daughter.

I am a happy person. I am grateful to God for all his blessings. And I try to share my joy with others.

I write both contemporary and historical romance, some with a bit of suspense. And I host a blog, titled: “Strong Women, Brave Stories.” I invite authors and readers to submit stories about women they have known and admired. If you’d like to drop by and join in, its on my homepage http://www.BooksbyLynCote.com And that’s Lyn Cote!

Makenzi is a fiction author with several books under her name since 2006 including, "Unexpected Truth", "Dangerously", "That's How I Like It!" a short story "Blood Brothers" and October 2013 she released her newest novel "Wicked Attraction." Before becoming a self published author in 2013, from 2008-09, Makenzi not only was an author on the roster but she also served as the in-house event planner for the publishing company she was previously signed with. Her duties included scheduling all the book signings, speaking events, interviews and book club events. Makenzi is originally from Cleveland, Ohio but currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Huntsville’s own Marc Lacy, a graduate of Alabama A&M University is a nationally renowned, award winning poet/author and a lecturer. He has performed all over the country at many national literary events and spoken word venues. Marc is also a seasoned freelance writer and
a blogger for The Man-Ologist Blogs. Along with writing and performance, Marc utilizes his wordsmith talent and poetic flair as he facilitates lectures, conducts workshops, and delivers motivational speeches concerning writing, communication, and self- development. Lacy credits his faith in God and love of family for providing energy he needs, to succeed.

AWARDS/RECOGNITION

• Poet of The Year National Poetry Awards - 2012

• Poet of The Year AAMBC - 2011

• Poet of The Year AAMBC - 2010

• Nominated (along with Nikki Giovanni) for 2007 “Poet of the Year Award” for Open Book Awards

M.J. Kane stumbled into writing. An avid reader, this stay at home mom never lost the overactive imagination of an only child. As an adult she made up stories, though never shared them, to keep herself entertained. It wasn’t until surviving a traumatic medical incident in 2006 that she found a reason to let the characters inhabiting her imagination free. Upon the suggestion of her husband, she commandeered his laptop and allowed the characters to take life. It was that, or look over her shoulder for men caring a purple strait jacket.
No longer a television addict, if M.J. isn’t reading a book by one of her favorite authors, she’s battling with her creative muse to balance writing and being a wife and mother. She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia with her high school sweetheart, four wonderful children, and two pit bulls. MJ can often be found hanging out at the local library where she is director of a local writer’s group, or online connecting with readers and other authors. Other activities she enjoys include: creating custom floral arrangements, assisting her children in their creative pursuits of music and art, and supporting her husband’s music production business, 3D Sounds.

Parker J. Cole spends most of her time reading, knitting, writing, cooking, and concocting new ideas for stories. She lives in Michigan with her husband and their beloved dog, Sarah. Every Tuesday at 7 PM Eastern, she hosts the Write Stuff radio show. It is a show geared toward Christian/inspirational authors for them to showcase their work as well as provide tips, tools, techniques, and resources for aspiring writers to hone their craft.

Piper G Huguley is the author of Migrations of the Heart, a five-book series of inspirational historical romances set in the early 20th century featuring African American characters. Book four in the series, A Champion’s Heart, was a Golden Heart finalist in 2013. Book one in her new historical series Home to Milford College is a current semi-finalist in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest. Chapter one of The Preacher’s Promise may be viewed here:

She blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son.

Rita Karnopp

Having just finished her fifteenth book, Rita Karnopp isn’t a stranger to bringing stories alive between the pages of her books.

This multi-published author has just begun. Whether a 1800s Montana story or nail biting suspense, Rita draws on her love for the rich history of the Native American.

Her thrillers have delighted the edgy reader and her recent Holocaust Tango of Death series is hitting the market by storm. It’s gutsy, real, and turning heads.

Rita currently resides in Montana with her husband and their loveable Cockapoo, Gema.

Reading, research, writing, and making dream catchers, consume most of Rita’s spare time during the long Montana winters. When summer arrives she enjoys gold panning, crystal or sapphire digging, rafting, fishing, canoeing, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Rose Jackson-Beavers, Chief Executive Officer of Prioritybooks Publications grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois and received her Bachelor and Master degrees from Illinois State and Southern Illinois Universities. Rose is a motivational speaker who is frequently asked to talk to youths and young adults about life issues. She has worked with many youths throughout her community and has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in youth empowerment and publishing. She has worked as a freelance writer for A-Magazine, a St. Louis Publication, The Spanish Lake Word Newspaper and as an Opinion Shaper for the North County Journal Newspaper. Married for twenty-nine years to Cedric, they have one daughter, Adeesha. Rose is the author of seven books. Her 2012 book, A Sinner's Cry was a finalist in the Religious Fiction category in, The Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2012. Her newest release through Urban Books is Full Figured 5 with Brenda Hampton. In 2013, she released Inhibitions; an anthology which included her story, Can’t Get Enough of Your Love. Rose’s books can be purchased directly from her website at http://www.prioritybooks.com/ or from http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. She can be reached at rosbeav03@yahoo.com, or at 314-306-2972.

Savannah Jackson or Savannah J as she is affectionately called has been surrounded by diverse culture and the Arts her entire life. She was born into a family of artists and raised in Wilmington, Delaware in an Italian neighborhood affectionately referred to as "Little Italy". The unconditional love and support of her family and influence of her environment fostered her love and talents in the Arts.

Savannah began singing at the age of three, subsequently, during her college years, she studied music and literature, which fed her passion for writing. Her first novels revealed her romantic side until at the urging of two friends, she decided to stretch herself and penned her first suspense.

She is the author of “Toward the Light” and the sequel “The Prodigal Son,” “Behind Closed Doors,” “Raising Tristan,” and the suspense thriller, “The Prey,” She is also the founder and organizer and host of The Biennial Authors Literary Festival, which is held every other year in the Richmond Virginia Metro Area.
Savannah J. at present resides in Virginia with her son and family. For more information see her website at www.thesavannahjpublications.com or email her at savnhj@aol.com . For more information on The Biennial Authors Literary Festival visit the website at www.theannualauthlitfestival.com. “Toward the Light” is available at www.authorhouse.com. “The Prey,” and “Raising Tristan” are available on Amazon and through Savannah’s website. “Raising Tristan” is now available in eBook on Kindle. “The Prodigal Son,” and “Behind Closed Doors” are being re-edited and unavailable. Savannah is currently hard at work on the second book in “The Prey” series titled “The Prey: Twins, and then there were two”.

Sherelle Green is a Chicago native with a dynamic imagination and a passion for reading and writing. Although she loves to read all genres, romance holds a special place in her heart.

Her love for romance developed in high school after stumbling across a hot and steamy Harlequin novel. She instantly became an avid romance reader and despite her desire to create a great romance novel, she put her dream on hold to write for newspapers and magazines while in high school and college. Upon receiving her BA in English from Northern Illinois University, Sherelle decided to test her skills at storytelling by composing a fifty-page romance. The short, but sweet, story only teased her creative mind, but it gave her the motivation she needed to follow her dream of becoming a published author.

Sherelle’s first novel is entitled A Tempting Proposal. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and she loves connecting with readers and other literary enthusiasts. Nothing satisfies her more than writing stories filled with compelling love affairs, multifaceted characters, and intriguing relationships. A true romantic, she believes in predestined romances, love at first sight, and fairytale endings.
Website www.sherellegreen.com

Shelly Ellis
As long as she could remember, Shelly Ellis (who also writes under the name, L.S. Childers) has wanted to be a writer. In college, she studied journalism and started out as a crime reporter for a small local newspaper. Now she is an editor at a trade journal in Virginia.

Her fiction writing career began when she became one of four finalists in the BET Books First-Time Writers Contest when she was 19 years old. The prize was having her first short-story romance published in the book, All That and Then Some! She has since been chosen as a finalist for 2012 African American Literary Award in the romance category and one of her books earned a coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly. Shelly started her new women’s fiction series with Kensington Publishing, the Gibbons Gold Digger Series in 2013, starring the gold-digging Gibbons sisters. She also does podcasts and is a blog contributor for Black Girl Nerds.

She is married and lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland with her husband, their daughter, and their tabbie cat, Barty. She loves to paint, read, and watch movies.

TaNisha Webb is a well known book club consultant and author of the highly anticipated book club guideThe Ultimate Book Club Experience: How to Create & Maintain a Successful Book Club. She is the Publisher and Editor in Chief for Book Club 101 Magazine and the founder of Book Club 101 University, The Black Book Club Experience, and The Ultimate Book Club Experience. TaNisha is also a literary event planner and consultant. She is the founder and coordinator of Fall Into Books Literary Conference and Book Club University Online Conference. She is the owner of Literary-ly Speaking Events & Services and Bookmark It! Handcrafted Bookmarks.

TaNisha Webb is the president of the award-winning KC Girlfriends Book Club and moderator for the “Maximizing Your Book Club Experience” panel discussion for the National Book Club Conference in Atlanta, GA. In 2002, TaNisha earned an Associates of Health Science in Respiratory Care at Newman University in Wichita, KS. TaNisha lives in Kansas City, MO and works as an Environmental Health Coordinator for a children’s hospital. Please visit TaNisha Webb online at: www.tanishawebbonline.com, www.bookclub101mag.com or www.bookclubuniversity101.net--

TaNisha Webb - Founder
Literary-ly Speaking Events & Services

Terri J. Haynes holds a certificate in Creative Writing, an Associate's Degree in Religious Studies and a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Theology. She is a columnist for UrbanFaith.com and has been published in Cup of Comfort for Military Families and Crosswalk.com. She is a ACFW 2010 Genesis Finalist and a 2012 Genesis Semi-Finalist. Terri's novel, Love Simplified, was a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Terri is a graphic designer and avid knitter. She lives in Maryland with her husband (Army RET) and her three children.

TL James graduated with an MBA from LeTourneau University. At LETU, she cultivated an interest in biblical studies, which became the integral thread in her writing style. Given birth her first speculative fictional trilogy. As she developed the family drama storyline, her newly born son was constantly tucked around her waist. After eight months of sleepless nights, The MPire trilogy was completed.

During her publishing experience, James discovered a numbers of gaps in the system. The primary gap was there were many publishing houses and promotions companies but not one company that provided both services and was affordable. Furthermore, the author often times was shutout of the important decisions because both companies possessed different agendas.

Tremayne Moore is the founder of Mayntre Manuscripts, LLC, a publishing company with a vision of writing to right the broken soul. Tremayne is committed to educate youth, parents, pastors, and community members concerning child sexual abuse/ teenage suicide through social media and community involvement. Moore holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Florida A&M University and a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Florida State University. His book “Deaf, Dumb, Blind & Stupid: Michael Anderson’s Fight for Life” was listed on OOSA Bookclub’s The Best of 2012.

Tyora Moody is the author Soul-Searching Suspense novels, Deep Fried Trouble (June 2013), When Memories Fade (April 2013) and When Rain Falls (March 2012). She is the 2013 Urban Literary Awards Debut Author Winner and 2013 Urban Literary Awards Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Winner. Tyora is a member of Sisters in Crime and American Christian Fiction Writers.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming a member of SORMAG's community - Join Today